Tractor drawbar coupling



My l0 19.27.

1,627,998 C. M. PORTER TRACTOR DRAWBAR COUPLING Filed Sept. 18. 1925 IVI. FEIT'LQIL1 Patented May 10,1927- y 'tenete 'UNITED STATES PATENT orifice.

oLoYD M. PORTER, oF'coNNEnsvn-inn, yINDIANA.

TRACTOR DRAWBAR COUPLING.

' Application filed September 1S, 1925. Serial No. 57,188.

i rlhe present invention relates to tractors, taken through the same substantially on the and more particularly to an improved hitch line 2-,-2 of Fig. 1. t i or coupling lor use between a tractor and a Fig. 3 is a Alongitudinal section taken drawbar. through the sector and travelling member in 60 -5 An object .ot the present invention is to position thereon, and l provide an improved coupling adaptedto au- Figa is a detail perspective view oi the tomatically maintain thedrawbar in the true sector. line ot draft when the tractor is turning in Referring to the drawing designates either direction, and to automatically bring the rear end 4portion of a tractor which is 65 10 the drawbar back into the line ot draft when provided in the usual manner with a drawt-he tractor assumes a straight line position. bar cap 11 having a rearwardly extending Another object ot the invention is to prolug or lip 12 suitably apertured for the revide a sector for attachment to the drawbar ception of a coupling pin or the like in usual f cap or lug at the rear end of a tractor and practice.

l5 to mount upon the sector a travelling mem- In the present instance a sector 13 is prober to which the drawbar is connected so vided and comprises an arcuate or circular that the travelling member may traverse the double flange extending substantially one sector in opposite directions trom' an interthird ot a circle in length and reinforced at mediate position to permit the drawbar to its inner side by an intermediate horizontal 2U swing into various angles at the rear end ot web 111 which may have an opening 15 therethe tractor and to thus divert or oltsetthe in to reduce the weight ot the sector and line of draft to accord with the angular poprovide a cross bar 16 extending between the sition between the draft bar and the tractor. endsof the flange 13. The cross bar 16 is The invention further aims at the proviprovided with a number of openings 17 Z5 sion of a coupling ot this character which is adapted to Areceive pins 18 which also eX- provided with anti-friction devicesv so that tend through the openings in the cap lug .l2 the coupling may quickly and automatically for the purpose of rigidly securing the sector assume the correct position in either direc across the lug 12. The 'lia-nge ot the sector tion as the tractor` turns, and without impos- 13 thus extends in a general vertical direcing a side draft on the engine or tractor tion across the rear end ot the tractor and is frame which results in the skidding of the curved uniformly in opposite directions from front wheels of the tractor and consequently the central longitudinal line ot the tractor. the loss of control ot the steering mechanism. Mounted upon the sector 13 is a travelling The invention still further aims to provide block 19 in the form of a yoke having upper 90 a tractor coupling ot this character to which and lower arms 20 which extend acrossthe the usual drawbar and clevis may be conupper and lower edges oi the curved flange nected so that no alterations are required ot' the sector, and which have inwardly exeither in the drawbar cap, the clevis or the tending bearing pins 21 upon which are drawbar. mounted rollers 22,`the rollers lying at oppo- A still further object oit' the invention is to site sides of the web 14 and engaging the provide an attachment comprising two parts inner sides of the curved flange. The rollers which may be economically manufactured 20 are adapted to traverse the inner side of and easily applied to tractors without the the curved iange and to take up the pull ot' exercise ot any great amount of skill. c' the drawbar. The above and various other objects and The travelling block 19 is provided with advantages ot this invention will in part be a rearwardly extending apertured lug 23 described in and in part be understood trom which is adapted to be embraced at opposite the Jfollowing detailed description of the sides by a clevis 211 detachably secured to the present preferred embodiment, the same belug 23 by a coupling pin 25. The clevis 24.L ing illustrated in the accompanying drawis pivotally connected by a pin 26 to the ing, wherein: head 27 of a drawbar 28.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a coupling For the purpose of maintaining the block constructed according to the present inven- 19 upon the sector, the latter is provided tion and as applied toa drawbar and the at opposite ends with a pair of stop pins 29 rear end of a tractor. l which are carried by the curved flange and Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section project inwardly from the upper and lower CIJ portions .thereof -to engage the rollers 22 and prevent the same from rolling ofi' of the opposite ends of the sector` ln operation, when the tractor is moving forwardly in a straight line as shown .in full lines in F ig. l, the travelling block 19 assumes a central position intermediately of the sector 13. liVhen, however, the ytractor turns out of a straight line the drawbar assln'nes an angular position with respect to the length of the tractor and draft upon the drawbar tends -to swing the forward lend of the tractor outwardly toward a straight line position. The improved coupling relieves the tractor of such strain as the travelling block 19 freely moves in either direction and to the necessary extent to follow the drawbar and transmit the pull through the corresponding portions of tbe sector 13 in direct radial alignment with the rear 4portion '10 of the tractor;

The use of the sector 13 thus imposes any lateral draft through the drawbar directly to the rear traction wheels and the wheels main-tain the rear end of the tractor from slipping sidewise `and there is no tendency for the front end of the tractor to be swung out of its curved path. The application of the improved coupling therefore prevents such costly accidents as throwing the forward end of the tractor against a fence, or into a ditch, and the direction of travel of the tractor with the machine coupled thereto is more easily determined and maintained `during ploughing and other work imposing more or less lateral pulling on the drawbar.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may ybe made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

llilhat is claimed is l. A drawbar coupling comprising` a segmental l section, a supporting web within the segmental section for keeping the T section rigid and adapted for attaclunent to a tractor. a yoke slidably mounted on the segmental section, and stop means secured to said segmental section for determining the travel of the yoke.

2. A. drawbar coupling comprising a segmental T section, a supporting web connecting the opposite inner ends of the segment whereby to prevent bending of the segmental section, a yoke extending ove-r the upper and lower edges ofthe segment, rollers mounted on the yoke and adapted to enga-ge the inner surface of the segment, and stop means on the segment for determining the travel of the rollers.

3. A drawbar coupling comprising a sector having a supporting web connecting the opposite inner ends thereof and a double flange at its outer edge, a yoke loosely engaging the opposite edges of the flange, a pair of rollers mounted on the yoke at the inner end thereof and adapted to engage the inner side of the flange, and a plurality of stop pins secured to the flange at opposite ends thereof for determining the travel of the rollers.

CLOYD M. PORTER. 

